Happy Monday, everyone! Meet Stephanie and her sweet-as-honey routine. She swears by Manuka for her skin. She also has been getting a lot of mileage out of spiritbeautylounge sample items. Annnd..she makes her own (edible!) DIY brozer. Read on!

Name: Stephanie
Age: 23
Current Weather: In the 70s-80s and humid-ish. I just moved home from the North so I am loving the warmer weather despite the humidity.
Hair: Long, brown, and sort of curly/wavy. Definitely not straight. The oiliness has become non-existent since my switch to natural products and reduction in showers. Which is great because it saves me a ton of time, I find showering to be a pretty grand and involved event in my life. 23 year old problems clearly.
Skin: I have always been acne prone :( I was on a strict regimen of prescription topical stuff which worked, but I got completely fed up with how dry they left my skin. Right now, I just got off birth control but things are still OK. Residual scarring and the odd small breakout are all I have to worry about now with no dryness!
Favorite Star: Miranda Kerr. Was she already chosen? I just love her values and personality! Image via

Before the shower…

I try to do oil pulling with coconut oil (I use the nutiva brand) which is an ayervedic technique that consists of swishing the oil in my mouth for twenty minutes then rinsing with warm salt water. It’s hard to last the full twenty, but I’ve found it is a great way to naturally whiten the teeth and make my whole mouth/gums feel supple and healthy. I will then usually eat breakfast and workout and also take some skin supplements which I thought could be applicable. I take fish oil or flax seed oil, black current oil and evening primrose oil which are GLAs which are supposed to be beneficial for skin and regulating female stuff as well as Indole-3-Carbinol which I saw was recommended in an article for women coming off the pill again to regulate hormones. I also only brush my hair before I shower with a wide toothed comb.

In the shower…

I’ve usually had a Wedderspoon Manuka Honey 16 strength mask on my face for at least half an hour before my shower and leave it on until the end (this was inspired by Siobhan) which I use as a facial cleanser. If I don’t have time to do a mask I will use the Tata Harper cleanser or the Dr Alkaitis cleanser I have from the samples I purchased on spiritbeautylounge. I like them both and find them super gentle, but prefer the manuka for its anti-acne fight. Manuka honey/honey in general for the face has been a godsend for my skin! Next I shampoo with either Desert Essences lemon and tee tree shampoo for oily hair or Alaffia neem shampoo (both of which I like and find wash away build-up, which was my biggest difficulty when looking for a natural shampoo) followed by either John Masters Lavender and Avocado Intensive Conditioner, the John Masters Honey and Hibiscus conditioner, or the Alaffia neem conditioner. I have recently begun washing my body and shaving with Moksa soap in Abbey Road. It smells amazing, is gentle (I loved Dr. Bronners tea tree bar soap, but then it become too harsh for my skin) and the company is amazing and donates to so many great charities! After that I may spray my hair with the Aubrey organics Nustyle Organic Detangler and Shine Booster (which smells like limes) as a heat protectant or Intelligent Nutrients leave-in conditioner which kind of makes me smell like a pizza, but I like it anyways. (Ed. Note: Pizza?!?!?! We need more info on this! Ha!) Then I wrap my hair up in a t-shirt which I’ve also heard is better to prevent frizz and keep curls intact.

Outside the shower I don’t really towel off because I find the extra moisture super beneficial for the rest of my routine. I spray my face with the Acure Organics Rose toner for oily skin which I LOVE it smells so good especially after reading that article about rose scents on here, then I mix my beloved Aubrey Organics aloe vera with whatever moisturizer is tickling my fancy. I use the aloe because it is such a great base to cut/preserve products which we know can be quite expensive. As I mentioned, I purchased the sample packs of Tata Harper and Dr Alkaitis so I basically pick and choose which moisturizer I feel like mixing in with my aloe. At the moment, I love the Tata Harper Serum and the Dr Alkaitis soothing gel and nourishing oil. Both companies products smells sooooo good and honestly make my skin look so plump and incredible. I never thought I would be able to treat myself to such luxurious moisturizers during my prescription days; it has been one of my greatest revelations of going natural! After that I spray my body with a DIY toner of Aloe Vera gel by Lily of the Valley (which is edible quality that I sometimes add to my drinks) and Witch Hazel followed by a DIY combination of coconut, argan, and jojoba oil, my Acure Organics unscented lotion, or my Bubble and Bee or Moksa body butter. I’m really into body moisturizers. Or moisturizing in general.

As far as makeup goes, I probably wear it once or twice a week and try to keep it really simple. Again, I am all about the samples! I recommend it because they are all quite sizable and I have yet to run out of one and repurchase. I use the Vapour organics concealer on my eyelids and the Alima Pure satin matte foundation on my under eyes and any other imperfections. I line my upper water line with Korres brown eyeliner, apply RMS living luminizer to my eyelids, brow bone, cheekbones, nose, and cupid’s bow and have been loving revolution organics in blush for my cheeks! I also love RMS lip2cheek in Modest. I sometimes finish that up with a  DIY bronzer made of cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder, and some other stuff and 100% mascara in black tea as well as my Bubble and Bee lip balm in pomegranate or my Badger Organic cocoa butter lip balm in cocoa.

Thanks, Stephanie! I’m having a hard time not making a “good enough to eat” pun about this routine…

Ayo! The series continues with another very exciting entry: Spirit Demerson—she of the loved Spirit Beauty Lounge—has shared her morning routine with us! Without even trying, Spirit is a total glamorpuss, and she knows the naturals market very, very well, which is why we are thrilled to share her routine with you. Without further ado…

Before the shower…

I spend about 2-3 minutes dry brushing my whole body.

In the shower…

I use a Crystal Quest shower filter and Oxygenics Elite SkinCare Showerhead. The filter removes some of the chorine/chloramine from the water. I’ve been using the Crystal Quest filters for years now and whenever I use another shower without one, I swear I can feel the unfiltered water drying out my skin. The showerhead makes the shower feel more invigorating despite it’s being low-flow, and it adds oxygen to the water so that rinsing and sudsing works better.

I’m very serious about dental care so I usually apply a cleanser to my face and leave it on while I brush and floss my teeth for like 5 minutes. I alternate cleansers depending on whether or not I’ve been sweating/wearing makeup/had hormones fluctuate. I go between the Kahina Giving Beauty Facial Cleanser and Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser and once or twice a week I’ll use the Acure Organics Brightening Facial Scrub.

I body wash with anything I’m in the mood for!  And I actually use Because Moisture Retaining Hand and Body Scrub several times a week—I’m kind of an exfoliating freak.

Outside the shower…

While I’m still damp, I thoroughly spritz my face and neck with Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence and quench my whole body down with either Tata Harper Revitalizing Body Oil or Because Multi-Tasking Hand and Body Lotion for drier days, and I smear on my Soapwalla Deodorant.

Then I do Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum and Eye Cream, wait about 5 minutes and do Tata Harper Rebuilding Moisturizer. I always wait at least 20 minutes before I do my face if I’m having a makeup day.  I like to give my skin care a chance to set and absorb undisturbed.

Finishing touches…

My low-maintenance day face is Nvey Eco Mattifying Compact Powder for full coverage of my crazy multi-colored skin from hairline to chest, Alima Pure Satin Matte Eyeshadow in Raven on my brows, RMS Beauty Living Luminizer on my lids and cupid’s bow, and a  pop of color with Revolution Organics Beauty Balm in Blushed on my lips and cheeks.

Image via